Dead Hand Rule by Max Gladstone

From the co-author of the viral New York Times bestseller This is How You Lose the Time War....

Great powers clash and epic action unfolds in book three of the Craft Wars series.

The time until the endtimes is ticking away. If the world has any hope to survive, it must come together now.

The foundations of the world are quaking. Markets crash and cities burn as a new god struggles to be born. Ancient hunters skitter across space, eager and hungry. Dark forces conspire to undermine that could stand in their way. Divided, the world of the craft is certain to fall.

In Alt Coulomb, the great powers of the world gather in conference. Empires, divinities, and corporate concerns take seats at the table. Untold wealth and inexhaustible might is on offer, but coalition will not come easily. Can these forces come together to save the world? And if they do, what parts of it will they choose to save, and for whom?

Also Available by Max Gladstone:

The Craft Sequence

1. Three Parts Dead

2. Two Serpents Rise

3. Full Fathom Five

4. Last First Snow

5. Four Roads Cross

6. Ruin of Angels

The Craft Wars

1. Dead Country

2. Wicked Problems



Last Exit

Empress of Forever



This is How You Lose the Time War (with Amal El-Mohtar)

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Praise for this book

Praise for Max Gladstone

“This book has it all: treachery and love, lyricism and gritty action, existential crisis and space-opera scope, not to mention time traveling superagents. Gladstone's and El-Mohtar's debut collaboration is a fireworks display from two very talented storytellers.” —Madeline Miller on This is How You Lose the Time War

“An intimate and lyrical tour of time, myth and history. Read it.” —New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi on This is How You Lose the Time War

“A unique band of adventurers that change each other for the better. It was a wild ride.” —Martha Wells, New York Times and international bestselling author on Empress of Forever

“If you read fantasy or sci-fi, if you enjoy clever thoughts and unique worldbuilding, if you want something new and fresh and sharp: This is the book for you. Seriously.” —Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author on Three Parts Dead

“Sharp, original, passionate.” —NPR on the Craft Sequence

“This is the best kind of urban fantasy, filled with diverse characters and thought-provoking philosophies.” —The Washington Post, on Full Fathom Five

“[A] deliriously strange novel of alternate universes and dysfunctional explorers. This gloriously metaphysical adventure will stick with you long after you return to the so-called real world.” —Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders on Last Exit

“This will not only be relished by fans of the previous books but might also make a terrific starting point for new readers.” —Library Journal, starred review, on Dead Country

“Gladstone’s rich, poetic writing, compelling place making, and convincing characters make this a great read, somehow both intensely expansive and satisfyingly contained within a character-based growth narrative.” —Booklist on Dead Country

“While the story itself is gripping, what’s most interesting is what Gladstone has to say about knowing a place in order to make peace with it, as well as the friction between small communities and powerful girls. Dead Country takes this world to a new place, both in terms of the actual story and of the writer’s skill.” —Locus

“Gladstone packs a lot into his tale (including a brilliant sequence in which Kai encounters another trans person who lacked Kai’s access to divine resources), and longtime readers may find some of his choices surprising.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Ruin of Angels

“Elegant and ferocious, Last First Snow bursts with unrelenting urgency.” —Daniel José Older, author of Shadowshaper

“Intimately personal… and vast enough to change everything. New readers and returning fans alike will be eager for more.” —Publishers Weekly on Dead Country

“The west was never this weird or witchy before.” —Charles Stross on Dead Country

“If you’ve been looking for a different kind of fantasy—part urban, part epic, maybe something in between...you’ll thoroughly enjoy this novel.” —Carrie Vaughn, author of The Kitty Norville series, on Two Serpents Rise

“Suspenseful and fast-paced throughout, and the diverse, female-led cast is a joy to follow through the fascinating and unusual landscape.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Three Parts Dead

“Places Gladstone firmly in the lineage of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson.” —Hugo Award finalist Fran Wilde on Empress of Forever

About the Author

Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award–winning author Max Gladstone has been thrown from a horse in Mongolia and once wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat. He is the author of many books, including Last Exit, Empress of Forever, the Craft Sequence of fantasy novels and, with Amal El-Mohtar, the viral New York Times bestseller This Is How You Lose the Time War. His dreams are much nicer than you’d expect.

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Title: Dead Hand Rule
Author(s): Max Gladstone
Volume: 3
ISBN: 9781250290373
Copyright 2025
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats

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